1. Field of the Invention
The preferred embodiments of the present invention relate to automotive grilles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automotive grilles are used as a barrier to protect an automobile's radiator as well as serve as a decorative feature. The grille generally serves as a source of ventilation to the radiator. The grille also provides decorative features which improve the look and style of an automobile.
The grilles protect the radiator from a number of objects, such as bugs, rocks, and road debris, which may damage the radiator and the grille. The grilles are often pitted or dented by the impact of these objects, resulting in an undesirable decorative finish. Furthermore, the grilles may be subject to significant impact forces during collisions. Moreover, certain materials and methods of making the grille result in rusting of various parts of the grille or flaking off of coating materials. Rusting adversely affects the decorative finish of the grill and contributes to decreased strength over an extended period of time. Flaking off of the powder coating also reduces the quality of the decorative finish of the grille, and provides no barrier to the grille base material.
Various conventional grille designs incorporate a decorative leading edge. To achieve the decorative appearance of the leading edge, a powder coating, or other similar coating may be applied to the entire grille, and the leading edge of the grille may be polished thereby removing the powder coating on the leading edge to obtain the decorative finish. Other automotive grilles are fabricated from a high-impact plastic and then coated with a metallic coating, such as chrome plating.
There are several problems associated with the aforementioned techniques for obtaining a decorative finish arising, in part, from polishing the grille after powder coating and applying a metallic coating. For example, the aluminum may become tarnished, and moisture can get beneath the powder coating at the edges, resulting in flaking off of the powder coating or metallic coating and rusting. Additionally, it may be desirable to fabricate the leading edge out of a relatively durable material designed to retain its decorative appearance, however, difficulties may arise in securing the leading edge to other grille components.
Accordingly, an improved automotive grille is required having the decorative features of a conventional grille, but also overcoming the problems associated with conventional manufacturing techniques.